Natchez, Mississippi Day 6 (GA437)

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.

Because we have 5,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 23rd year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

---

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails RV Resort in Bow, Washington. I’ll depart here later this morning.

 

 

 

Since my RVing life is changing (see above), I’m starting to re-visit previously visited places. So rather than constantly re-blogging past entries, I’ve decided to do something different.

  In 2011-2013, Mary and I did a 682 day, 12,679 miles in the motorhome and 8,000 miles in the Bronco, circumnavigation of the United States, which I called The Great Adventure. I called it so because other than my oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation in June in Connecticut, I didn’t know where we would be going or when we would be there!

So, unless I do something really different and unusual warranting a new blog entry, I’ll be posting entries from that trip.

This entry was posted March 24, 2013…

Note: Mary flew from Baton Rouge Airport, Louisiana on March 12 to her home in California. I’m hoping to get her back with me by mid-April. My current plans are to drift SLOWLY north along the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee where I’ll then turn northeast heading for New England for the Summer. Can’t go north too fast because it’s still cold up there! The Mississippi River is rich in history…I expect it to be an interesting passage.
————————————————————————————————————–

The motorhome is still parked at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #1662 in Natchez, Mississippi.

 

 

Natchez remained mostly undamaged from the Civil War. Hence this old city with its narrow and many one-way streets remains a beautiful city. To read about Natchez, click this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez,_Mississippi

 

 

In yesterday’s Blog post, I presented how I came to meet the younger sister of famed rock n roller Jerry Lee Lewis…Frankie Jean Lewis Terrell. If you happen to miss that entry, here’s the link…
http://wp.me/pDCku-7uq

 

 

Towards the end of that initial meeting, Frankie Jean got to telling of how, when she was a young child, the Lewis Family would go out to eat at Mammy’s Cupboard…a few miles south of Natchez, Mississippi. Also, that it had been many years since she had been there.

 

 

So, I said…”What are you doing tomorrow?”. A few moments later it was agreed that Frankie Jean, Jean the tour guide from the Delta Music Museum and I would go to Mammy’s Cupboard for lunch. They picked me up shortly before noon and a few minutes later we were there…

 

 

Here are some of the photos that I took…

 

 

 

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s only open for lunch from 11 to 2 and they were doing a booming business…

 

 

 

 

 

We had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated…

 

 

 

 

 

There was a sign on the wall that said…”Life is short – eat dessert first”…and that just what Frankie Jean did…

 

 

 

 

 

Not being a dessert eater, I had the Saturday special of rice and beans with a layered salad and Mexican Cornbread…

 

 

 

 

 

One of the nearby diners complained that the air conditioning was too cold, so the staff made her a paper hat to help keep her head warm…

 

 

 

 

 

On the way out I saw this sign…

 

 

 

 

 

and a small frame with photos showing the difference from now and 60 years ago when it was also a Shell Gas Station…

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s my attempt at enlarging the old photo…

 

 

 

 

 

and here’s how it looks today…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The meal was tasty indeed and a good time was had by all. Yesterday I told you that Frankie Jean is a Hoot…and so she was here. She just enjoyed chatting and laughing with everyone…never revealing who she is. She never publicly discloses that personal information.

 

 

You can read about Mammy’s Cupboard by reading this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammy%27s_Cupboard

 

 

I found this short YouTube video about Mammy’s Cupboard on the Internet…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80WjQcbxt54

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to Natchez we went by a place called Forks in the Road which was once the second largest slave-trading location in the South…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can read about this place by clicking this link…
http://usslave.blogspot.com/2012/04/forks-of-road-slave-market-at-natchez.html

 

 

Another fun and interesting day!

 

 

Today is laundry day…not an exciting Blog topic for tomorrow. So I’m saving what I did last (Saturday) night for tomorrow’s Blog posting. See you then!

 

 

Enjoying historic places is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

 

 

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Mississippi. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

 

 

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! MARY WROTE A MANY GREAT BLOGS…SO WHENEVER SHE PUBLISHED A BLOG POSTING THE SAME DAY THAT I DID…YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ HER BLOG BY CLICKING THE BELOW LINK! DO IT NOW!

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/some-things-just-dont-work/

 

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Forecast for today is sunny and 80 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

 

 

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

 

 

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2018

Natchez, Mississippi Day 5 (GA436)

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.

Because we have 5,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 23rd year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

---

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails RV Resort in Bow, Washington. I’ll depart here tomorrow.

 

 

 

Since my RVing life is changing (see above), I’m starting to re-visit previously visited places. So rather than constantly re-blogging past entries, I’ve decided to do something different.

  In 2011-2013, Mary and I did a 682 day, 12,679 miles in the motorhome and 8,000 miles in the Bronco, circumnavigation of the United States, which I called The Great Adventure. I called it so because other than my oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation in June in Connecticut, I didn’t know where we would be going or when we would be there!

So, unless I do something really different and unusual warranting a new blog entry, I’ll be posting entries from that trip.

This entry was posted March 23, 2013…

Note: Mary flew from Baton Rouge Airport, Louisiana on March 12 to her home in California. I’m hoping to get her back with me by mid-April. My current plans are to drift SLOWLY north along the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee where I’ll then turn northeast heading for New England for the Summer. Can’t go north too fast because it’s still cold up there! The Mississippi River is rich in history…I expect it to be an interesting passage.
————————————————————————————————————–

The motorhome is still parked at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #1662 in Natchez, Mississippi.

 

 

Natchez remained mostly undamaged from the Civil War. Hence this old city with its narrow and many one-way streets remains a beautiful city. To read about Natchez, click this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez,_Mississippi

 

 

Yesterday was an exceptional one…so lots of photos today. I drove the Bronco the about 15 miles over the Mississippi River to Ferriday, Louisiana…a place I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, You can read about Ferriday by clicking this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferriday,_Louisiana

 

 

Directly to the right unseen in this photo is the Delta Music Museum. You can read about the museum by clicking this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Music_Museum

 

 

Here are some of the photos that I took…

 

 

 

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only qualification to be featured is a person must have come from the Mississippi River Delta region between Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this next photo tour guide Virginia Welsh introduces me to Ferriday’s most famous three cousins…Jimmy Swaggart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Swaggart …Jerry Lee Lewis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lee_Lewis …and Mickey Gilley…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Gilley…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The back of Conway Twittty’s denim jacket…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Including the 30 minute video, I spent a very enjoyable 1.5 hours here. I highly recommend it to you if you are in the area. Virginia, Judith and Jean will be glad to show you around…

 

 

 

 

 

Next, with assistance of the above three ladies, I was able to get an invite to the Jerry Lee Lewis Museum just six blocks away. It has been closed in recent times due to the death of a close family member. This is a living museum…by that I mean it’s in the Lewis Family home with Jerry Lee’s younger sister Frankie Jean still residing there…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is usually not allowed, but Frankie Jean said it was okay if I did not use a flash…which I never use anyways…

 

 

Oh, how do I describe this delightful Lady???? She is a hoot!!!! Fast-taking and sounding like an excited Loretta Lynn with a super funny sense of humor. Just a neat person!!!! Jean, from the museum who had not been there before, and I spent a wonderful two-hours there as she explained many of the mementos. She is truly one unforgettable lady…it’s hard to picture her and Jerry Lee in the same room!!!!  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here Jean examines Jerry Lee’s schoolhouse desk…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frankie Jean told us Jerry Lee was born in this bed…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry Lee’s first ever signed photograph…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A statue of Elvis and Jerry Lee…

 

 

 

 

 

As we were leaving, Frankie jean gave me a Jerry Lee T-shirt. Here’s the front…

 

 

 

 

 

And the back…

 

 

It will be a long time before I forget this day!!!! Here’s the official Jerry Lee Lewis website link…
http://www.jerryleelewis.com/

 

 

I’ll explore more of Natchez today.

 

 

Enjoying historic places is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

 

 

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Mississippi. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! MARY WROTE A MANY GREAT BLOGS…SO WHENEVER SHE PUBLISHED A BLOG POSTING THE SAME DAY THAT I DID…YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ HER BLOG BY CLICKING THE BELOW LINK! DO IT NOW!

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/alameda-county-sheriffs-archivemuseum/

 

 

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Forecast for today is sunny and 74 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

 

 

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

 

 

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2018

Frankie Jean Lewis Terrell – Farriday, Louisiana RIP

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Because we have 4,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 21st year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Thunderbird RV Resort in Monroe, Washington. I’ve been here many times before. I’m scheduled to leave here tomorrow..

 

I’ll be hanging out in this general area until about the beginning of October, taking maximum advantage of my Thousand Trails membership and very agreeable weather.

 

(Note: I’m currently a little discombobulated right now. My normal mode is to blog what I experienced yesterday. Right now, I’m a number of blogs behind my experiences. I expect to be back in my normal mode in about three weeks.)

 

 

 

Today’s subject…

 

 

A couple of nights ago, I watched a video about Jerry Lee Lewis called Great Balls Of Fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got to wondering if old Jerry Lee Lewis was still around…so I Googled him…and yes he is still performing. During my search, I stumbled upon the fact that his younger sister, Frankie Jean Lewis Terrell, age 71, passed away from a heart attack this past July 24th.

Back on March 22, 2013, I had the opportunity to meet this delightful lady when she gave me a personal one-hour tour through the Lewis home in Ferriday, Louisiana. She’s the only one living there now and maintains is as a Jerry Lee Lewis Museum…

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read the blog post of that event, click this link…

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/natchez-mississippi-day-5/

 

 

 

 

The next day, I took Frankie Jean and her friend to lunch at Mammy’s Kitchen in Natchez, Mississippi…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read the blog posting of that event, click this link…

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/natchez-mississippi-day-6/

 

 

 

 

As an aside to this story, the following evening I got to meet Jerry Lee Lewis’s grand-daughter Somer Lance, who is also a performer…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read that blog posting, click this link…

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/natchez-mississippi-day-7/

 

 

 

 

Frankie Jean was a neat gal and I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet her.

 

 

 

 

To read all about Ferriday, Louisiana, click this link…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferriday,_Louisiana

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Yesterday was sunny/cloudy and 65 degrees. Forecast for today is cloudy a shower and 63 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet 2016

SUN RECORDING STUDIO OF MEMPHIS

Sun Recording Studios of Memphis is a fun, fun tour. Its located on Union Street and if you grew up with Eivis Presley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, this is where they got started, with a dream of Studio owner,  Sam Phillips.

Sam Phillips was a unique character. He grew up around the Blues which according to historians started on Beale Street in Memphis. The slave music of misery,and white  sharecroppers alike singing out their woes; every street corner in the black area of Memphis had a jug band that played for pennies. Music flowed from black churches. The field hollers and rythmic beat of the black community made the streets course with energy  while radio stations only played country music and Grand Old Opry.  Phillips wanted to record the energetic blues.

There was one DJ named Dewey Phillips who played “race” music. Teenagers listened to it in secret. Dewey would screech out of his microphone,” If your momma don’t like it, all the better. Tell ’em Phillips Sencha.” His station was the Red Hot and Blue in Memphis, screaming to the kids and they loved it.

What Sam Phllips did, (he and Dewey were not related) was open a recording service. He’d charge you to come in and record your stuff. He’d do a wedding, an anniversary, your poetry, anything at $4 a pop, hoping that someday, someone would walk into his studio and make it big. He recorded the Beale Street Blues and captured that raw energy. He didn’t care about white or black music, he would crank up the amps and distort it. He’d blend styles because he thought music should be fun. He wanted music to sound like a party in the room.

Elvis grew up in Memphis and he walked in one day. But Elvis paid to record his ballads. Sam didn’t like  “You Are My Sunshine” and other such stuff. He’d try and get Elvis to play something with energy.  Elvis  played with the studio band for a year and a half before something happened that Sam liked while the he and the session players  were just messing around in the studio during a break.  It was the song, “That’s All Right.”   Sam brought it to Dewey who played it 14 times the first night it went on the air. Rock N Roll was born.

A young John Cash walked in in 1954.  “I’m John Cash and I want you to hear me play”.  Sam listened but told him, “write me an uptempo weeper love song”.  “Cry, Cry, Cry” was released in 1955. Sam called him “The Giant Voice In Black.”

But,  Sun Studio’s first biggest  paying hit was Carl Perkins, “Don’t you Step On My Blue Suede Shoes.”  Of course Sam was sending recordings to Dewey Phillips and Elivis was hitting the pop charts, crossing styles and fusing music. Carl heard Elvis on the Radio, as did Jerry Lee Lewis. It drew them  to Sun Studio.

This is what the studio calls its Million Dollar Quartet, Jerry Lee, Carl, Cash and Elvis in one photo. Jerry Lee signed on as a session player (back-up pianist) but in between recordings he’d pound the ivories like a wild man, play with his feet until his piano sounded like a drum. He finally broke through with HIS kind of music with a “A Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Goin On” in 1957. And six months later, “Great Balls OF Fire” scaring the hell out of parents everywhere.

I love this poster of Jerry Lee playing a burning piano. Lewis is the only musician of the fab four who is still alive and playing rock n roll.

Sam Phillips sold Elvis’s contract to a bigger studio. He was in debt and he knew he didn’t have the bankroll to really further Elvis’ career. A good move for both of them. Elvis didn’t want to leave. I enjoyed this tour very much. There are great pictures of great musicians here, some of their instruments and the recording studio itself. Even if you didn’t grow up in the 1950’s, you will enjoy the energy in this place. The tour guides are great. Lahna Deering was our guide and she is a musician with the Deering And Down band. You can hear her unique music on her website at this link.  I like it and hope she makes it big some day.

http://deeringanddown.com/fr_home.cfm

The rest of the studio tour is about the many great musicians that came here and made great music.

A rare  picture of Roy Orbison without sunglasses.  Here he is, young and hopeful.

.

Big Walter Horton, Blues Harmonica Great.

B.B. King.

Jim Jaillet, my partner. We were invited to have fun, so we did, as did others. They encourage you to dance to the music and sing along.

What a crooner!

.

The way Roy Orbison usually appeared in public.

Paul Burlison, a renowned session guitarist.

Ike Turner, leader of the  Delta Cats Band.

Two of Elvis’ session players that were recorded with him at Sun Studios, Scotty and Bill.

Rufus “Bearcat” Thomas Jr.

Howlin Wolf.

If you are an equipment junkie, it is all here.

An old 45 RPM player. In fact, Sun Studios sells 100’s of remastered 45’s. They sell all of the wonderful pictures as well. It kind of makes me think about galleries who don’t allow pictures for fear you won’t buy any. They do a gold mine business selling everything and still allow photos. Kudos to them.

Lahna demonstrated how Johnny Cash would put a dollar bill under his strings and loosen them up to get that special sound you hear  in “Folsom Prison Blues.”

A lot of information about Sun Studio, and all the greats that passed through its doors is on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Studio

They have especially great pictures you don’t often see of Elivis.

.

Southaven, Mississippi – Day 8

The motorhome is still parked at VFW Post #10567 in Southaven, Mississippi. The location is about 1/4 mile south of the Tennessee Border and about 10 miles south of the City of Memphis. We are now expecting to depart on Thursday.

Yesterday I drove the Bronco the about 10 miles to downtown Memphis. We arrived at Sun Studio, the self-proclaimed Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was here that Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and others made their famous early musical recordings. You can read all about the history of Sun Studio by clicking this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Studio

In general, photography conditions were terrible. Outside…harsh sunlight. Inside…darkish with mini spotlights and just about everything worth photographing was covered with plastic or glass making for lots of reflection. Then…also, there were lots of people to get in the way. Nonetheless…here are some of the photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

The original Sun Studio through which this door these folks entered both before they were and after they became famous…

The sign in front of the above building…

The attached building housing the gift shop, administrative offices and museum area…

These photos are on the outside of the above building…

We arrived at 10:00 AM hoping there would be few people for the first tour at 10:30 PM…not! This is where you buy your tour tickets…in the gift shop…

A real-live Honky Tonk Angel. At least that’s what it says on her chest…

Our tour guide was to be Lahna Deering…a musician still seeking international fame. She proved to be a bubbly and knowledgeable personality. You can listen to some of her music and find out all about her and her partner by clicking their official website link…
http://deeringanddown.com/fr_home.cfm

Time for the tour at last. Heading into the museum area I made it a point to be first in line so I could shoot a photo with no people in the way…

Sam Phillips was the owner of Sun Studio at that time…

In addition to explaining the museum’s exhibits, Lahna played us some partial early Sun Studio recordings…

She told us that originally Sun Studio was called the Memphis Recording Service…

Time to now go to the original recording studio area. This is what the reception area looked like back then…

Through the door into the studio where once again Lahna played more early recordings for us…

Using (supposedly) the same microphone that was used by Elvis…Mary belts out a tune…

Back to the gift shop area…

Then outside where a waiting shuttle bus was delivering a new load and waiting for departing tourists…

It proved to be an interesting visit despite the crowd. I would have preferred it to be like my tour through the Norman Petty Recording Studio in Clovis, New Mexico where Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings and others made their early recordings. On that tour I was the only person because Clovis is out in the middle of nowhere rather than a large city like Memphis. If you missed that Blog entry…here’s the link…
http://wp.me/pDCku-60G

Here’s the link to the museum…
http://wp.me/pDCku-61Q

After our time at Sun Studio, Mary’s neck started bothering her again so we called it a day. Must have been belting out that tune that did it! 🙂

Enjoying interesting historic places and museums is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location near Memphis in the State of Tennessee. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Natchez, Mississippi – Day 5

Note: Mary flew from Baton Rouge Airport, Louisiana on March 12 to her home in California. I’m hoping to get her back with me by mid-April. My current plans are to drift SLOWLY north along the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee where I’ll then turn northeast heading for New England for the Summer. Can’t go north too fast because it’s still cold up there! The Mississippi River is rich in history…I expect it to be an interesting passage.
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The motorhome is still parked at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #1662 in Natchez, Mississippi.

Natchez remained mostly undamaged from the Civil War. Hence this old city with its narrow and many one-way streets remains a beautiful city. To read about Natchez, click this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez,_Mississippi

Yesterday was an exceptional one…so lots of photos today. I drove the Bronco the about 15 miles over the Mississippi River to Ferriday, Louisiana…a place I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, You can read about Ferriday by clicking this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferriday,_Louisiana

Directly to the right unseen in this photo is the Delta Music Museum. You can read about the museum by clicking this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Music_Museum

Here are some of the photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

The only qualification to be featured is a person must have come from the Mississippi River Delta region between Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana…

In this next photo tour guide Virginia Welsh introduces me to Ferriday’s most famous three cousins…Jimmy Swaggart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Swaggart …Jerry Lee Lewis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lee_Lewis …and Mickey Gilley…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Gilley…

The back of Conway Twittty’s denim jacket…

Including the 30 minute video, I spent a very enjoyable 1.5 hours here. I highly recommend it to you if you are in the area. Virginia, Judith and Jean will be glad to show you around…

Next, with assistance of the above three ladies, I was able to get an invite to the Jerry Lee Lewis Museum just six blocks away. It has been closed in recent times due to the death of a close family member. This is a living museum…by that I mean it’s in the Lewis Family home with Jerry Lee’s younger sister Frankie Jean still residing there.

Photography is usually not allowed, but Frankie Jean said it was okay if I did not use a flash…which I never use anyways…

Oh, how do I describe this delightful Lady???? She is a hoot!!!! Fast-taking and sounding like an excited Loretta Lynn with a super funny sense of humor. Just a neat person!!!! Jean, from the museum who had not been there before, and I spent a wonderful two-hours there as she explained many of the mementos. She is truly one unforgettable lady…it’s hard to picture her and Jerry Lee in the same room!!!!  🙂

Here Jean examines Jerry Lee’s schoolhouse desk…

Frankie Jean told us Jerry Lee was born in this bed…

Jerry Lee’s first ever signed photograph…

A statue of Elvis and Jerry Lee…

As we were leaving, Frankie jean gave me a Jerry Lee T-shirt. Here’s the front…

And the back…

It will be a long time before I forget this day!!!! Here’s the official Jerry Lee Lewis website link…
http://www.jerryleelewis.com/

I’ll explore more of Natchez today.

Enjoying historic places is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Mississippi. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust